Conventionally, contact elements are employed in electrical machines for electrically connecting electrical components.
European Patent No. EP 0 960 464 describes an electrical machine having a contact element which is of a generally arc-shaped design and has arc end areas. The contact element has a plurality of conductors that run within a substrate of the contact element. A conductor is provided in the contact element which extends from one arc end area to the other arc end area. The conductor extends through the substrate with an angular path. The angular path is needed so that the conductor does not come into electrical contact with other conductors present in the substrate and thus produce a short circuit. This results in a very complex wiring geometry, which is complicated and expensive to produce and requires great accuracy during installation in the substrate. Furthermore, the angular path within the substrate due to the arc-shaped path of the contact element results in great wiring length, which leads to line losses. A contact element is needed which may be manufactured in a simple and reliable way and reduces conventional line losses.